Vessel for storage of liquids at low temperatures



Jan. 31, 1950 l. L. WISSMILLER VESSEL FOR STORAGE OF LIQUIDS AT LOW TEMPERATURES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 21, 1948 JUQfi 19 [ll-ll Jan. 31, 1950 w ss 2,495,798

VESSEL FOR STORAGE OF LIQUIDS AT LOW TEMPERATURES Filed July 21, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 31, 1950 VESSEL FOR STORAGE OF LIQUIDS AT LOW TEMPERATURES Ivan L. Wissmiller, Chicago, 111., assignor to Chicago Bridge & Iron Company, a corporation of Illinois Application July 21, 1948, Serial No. 39,925

This invention relates to a vessel for storage of liquids at low temperatures, or more particularly for the storage of liquified natural gas.

The storage of liquified natural gas has become increasingly common. Th temperature of the liquified material is in the neighborhood of minus 260 degrees, Fahrenheit. At this temperature, normal steels lose their toughness. It is therefore, necessary to utilize a metal in con tact with the natural gas liquid which will retain good toughness at the low temperatures involved. Such metals are herein described as coldresisting metals, whereas the normal steel is herein designated as cold-susceptible metal. Usually a nickel or nickel-chromium steel or a copper or aluminum alloy is employed as the cold-resisting metal.

All of the cold-resisting metals now known are relatively expensive. Furthermore, the natural gas liquid being markedly below atmospheric temperature, must be thoroughly insulated. For both reasons the storage vessels are commonly made up in the form of a pair of shells, the inner shell being cold-resisting metal and being separated from an outer shell of coldsusceptible metal by a thick layer of insulation.

The inner shell will, of course, expand and contract markedly as it empties and fills, and will move relative to the outer Shell with changes in the temperature difference between them. For

this reason the problem of supporting the two shells is a difiicult one.

The present invention provides a simple means for supporting an inner and outer shell, which are normally spherical in form, independently upon the same piers. This is accomplished by providing a plurality of piers equally distributed around the periphery of the vessel. The outer shell is provided with a generally cylindrical support on each pier. concentrically within the cylinder is a support for th inner sh ll. This support includes an upright dithermal (insulating) member having rocker members at its top and bottom, a stop or guide means which permits the dithermal member to move only inwardly from a predetermined outer position on a radial path, and a leg secured to the inner shell and resting upon the upper rocker member of the dithermal support. As the inner shell moves with reference to the outer shell, the dithermal support rocks.

Th invention is illustrated in the drawings, in which Fig. l is a vertical elevation storage vessel; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary horizontal section; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section of elevation 6 Claims. (Cl. 220-15) 2. through one of the supporting elements; and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken along the line 4-4 in Fig. 3.

The vessel I ll comprises an inner shell ll of cold-resisting metal, and this shell is here shown as spherical in form. It may also be spheroidal, elliptical, cylindrical, or partially spheroidal. ellipsoidal, or cylindrical; or any other convenient shape. It is best shown in Figs. 3 and 4; the inner shell l l is provided with a plurality of depending legs l2 of cylindrical form and made of cold-resisting metal which are welded to the shell at uniformly spaced intervals. At least three such legs are provided. The bottom of each leg is closed by a plate I 3. The plat I3 rests on a rocker plate [4 which caps dithermal support l5. This support is preferably a block of wood of sufficient length that heat transfer through it is not greatly in excess of heat transfer from the outer to the inner shell at other points. The bottom of the support 3 is provided with a second rocker plate l6 which rests on a plate I! supported on a concrete pier [8.

The pier likewise forms a support for a cylindrical leg or support 20 for the outer shell 2l, which is normally made of cold-susceptible metal. The space between shells H and I2 is filled with any suitable insulating material 22.

A dithermal block 23, preferably of wood, is mounted on a bracket 24 carried by the outer shell 25 of the leg 20, and is positioned adjacent to the top of the dithermal support l5. This block 23 is shaped to permit radial movement of the support I5 inwardly from the position of maximum outward movement shown in Fig. 4. An inner stop member may also be provided, if desired, but it has not been found necessary in practice.

In operation, as the inner shell moves inwardly, the dithermal support I5 moves radially inwardly.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, for some modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A storage vessel for low temperatur liquids comprising an inner shell, an outer shell separated therefrom by an insulating space, a plurality of supporting piers, a cylindrical supporting member for the other shell on each pier, a support for the inner shell within said cylindrical support comprising a depending leg secured to the inner shell, a vertical supporting 3 member between the leg and the pier and a pair of rocker plates associated with said vertical member whereby said inner shell may move horizontally radially inwardly or outwardly.

2. A vessel as set forth in claim 1, in which means are provided for limiting outward radial movement of the vertical support.

3. A vesselas set forth in claim. 1. in which said vertical support is a dithermal material.

4. A vessel as set forth in claim 1 in which the inner shell is of cold-resisting metal and. the outer shell is of cold-susceptible metal.

5. A storage vessel comprising a pair of substantially concentric metal shells, a plurality of vessel supports spaced about the periphery of the vessel, a shell support for the outer shell on each vessel support, and a shell support for. the inner shell on each vessel support within the first shell support, said supports for the inner shell including a vertical member having rocker plates 4 at the top and bottom, whereby radial movement of the inner shell may occur by movement of said vertical member on the plate.

6. A storage vessel comprising a pair of substantially concentric metal shells, a plurality of shell supports for the outer shell, a plurality of shell supports for the inner shell, one of said lastnamed shell supports being located within each of th first named shell supports, said supports for the inner shell including a vertical member having rocker plates at the top and bottom whereby radial movement of the inner shell may occur by movement of the said vertical member on the plate, and vessel support means about the periphery of the vessel supporting said inner and outer shell supports.

IVAN L. WISSMILLER.

No references cited. 

